Hinge construction



9 c. E. BROWNELL 2,491,159

HINGE CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 28, 1946 2 Shets-Sheet 1 H A H 3. H B

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Dec. 13, 1949 c. E. BROWNELL 2,491,159

HINGE CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 28, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR C/hfo/d E. Browne BY 63,420 @ww Myv @m.

ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 13, 1949 UN I TED STATES PATENT F Fl C E -HINGE CONSTRUCTION Clifford 'Brownell, Buffalo, N. Y., assignor of one-fourth to Ashley F. Wilson, East .Aurora, and OIlfisfOlllYlJh-tflxElWill N. Wilson, one-fourth to Lyndon A. Wilson, and tone-fourth to .S. Shepard 'Wilson, all of Buflalo, .N. vY.

Application September 28, 1946,SerialN0."699,'976

7 Claims. v 1

This invention relates :to container closuresand particularly to novel hinge means therefor.

'The present invention provides a novel .construction wherein a receptacle and a :cover element therefor are provided withnovel hinge formations whereby they may be readily assembled without the use of special tools or auxiliarysecuring devices, such as =hinge wires or the like. While the invention is not thus limited, the construction proposed herein :is particularly well :adapted for use in the constructionof domestic garbage cans, generally referred to as :sanitary cans, wherein mechanism is providedfor raising the cover or lid by thedepression-of :a foot pedal.

In such constructions, a link :is generally connected to the cover or lid for moving the .same between closed and opened positions, and in the present construction such link or similar con- .nection is availed of to prevent accidental disassembly of the hinge. The hinge construction of the present invention comprises merely two simple metal stampings so that, in addition .to simplicity of assembly, the hinge is equally simple to fabricate.

While specific details 'of construction are illustrated in the drawing and described in .detail in the following specification, itxis to be understood that various mechanical modifications may be made without departingfrom .the principles .of the invention, which arerlimited-only as defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. ,1 is a top plan viewof one form of a hinge element which is :secured to a container or receptacle;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a cooperating element which is fixed to the lid or cover of the receptacle; 7

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view thereof;

Fig. .5 is a side elevational view showing the elements of Figs. 1 through4 in the position they occupy at the beginning of the assembly operation;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. but with the partsmoved further toward an assembled position; and

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Figs. 5 and 6 but with the parts stillfurther advanced toward final assembled position.

Referring toFigs. -1 and 2, a-generally cylindrical receptacle is indicated .indotand .dashlines at H]. and a hinge element which is adapted to .be rigidly secured thereto by "welding, riveting, .or the like is indicated generally at -I I. Hinge element 1;! has a :central web portion l2 for secure- .mentagainstthe upper exterior Wall of container cover element is .crowned and the hinge ele- :ment mayhave a securing .flange 28 which .fol- .lows :the contour of :the interior of cover I 9 so that it may be securely fixed thereagainst by welding, riveting, or otherwise. Adjacent flange ?2 D,;hin ge element 18 has a channel portion comprising a web 22;and opposed side flanges 23 and $21!. The outer end of web 2-2 is bent downwardly :as:at.26 and terminates :inasemi-circular curl 21.

:Referringagain to Figs. ,1 and 2, the outer ends of .flanges I-3 and I4 are 'arcuately shaped as at 28, their defining radius being concentric with 'trunnions l5 and i8. Below trunnions l5 and .16, flanges I3 and M -.are,-fiat as at 35] in Fig. 2. The sfianges *2-3 and '24 are preferably arcuate, as at .3l in Fig. :4, merely for thepurpose of registering with the arcuate edges offlanges i3 and M itojpresent a trim appearance.

As is shown :in Figs. 3 :and 4, web 22 of hinge elementBlhas struck therefrom :a pair of parallel flanges .34 and 35 which give bearing to a pivot pin, which-may beza cotter pin or the like, which .pin engageable by .a vertical cover operating link which is'shown in dot anddash lines in Fig. '7 at 38. .Themanner in which cover link 38 operates to raise-rand lower the cover element is not important to a consideration of the present in- .vention, save to state that when it is connected betweenfia'nges :34 and 35 it limits the cover element to a predetermined .range of movement.

The .manner in which the hinge elements H and I 8 are assembled will now be described, it being understood :that :they are normally rigidly secured to the container and cover, respectively, before assembly. Referring to Fig. 5, hinge element .I8.is;placed inan invertedposition beneath hinge element vl I as shown in .full lines in Fig. 5, and hinge z-element 18 .is then raised until its curl] his in vtheposition indicatedin-dot and dash linesin Fig. .5. The cover and-its hinge element t8 are then moved to the right to the full line position illustrated in Fig. 6, whereupon hinge element tlmaybe-dropped until-its curl 2i rests 3 against trunnions l5 and 16 as indicated in dot and dash lines in Fig. 6

The next step in assembly comprises rotating the cover and its hinge element [8 in a counterclockwise direction about the axis of trunnions l5 and [6, with curl 21 in engagement with the trunnions, to the position illustrated in full lines in Fig. 7. It will be noted that in this position, and in any further counterclockwise position of hinge element iii, the inside surface of web 22 is in sliding contact with the arcuate outer edges 28 of flanges l3 and M, which engagement prevents movement of curl 21 away from trunnions l5 and I6.

Movement of hinge element l8 from the full line position of Fig. '7 to the cover-closed position shown in dot and dash lines in Fig. 7 is thus constrained to true pivotal movement about the axis of trunnions I5 and I6 and flanges 23 and 24 prevent disassembly in an axial direction. Subsequent pivotal connection of link 38 between flanges 34 and 35 of hinge element [8 constrains the cover element to pivotal movement from closed position to a full-open position which is short of, or at least not beyond, the full-line position of hinge I8 in Fig. 7. Accordingly, hinge element l8 cannot be disassembled from its pivotal connection with hinge element ll, excepting when such disassembly is desired, when it is effected by disconnecting link 38 and reversing the assembly procedure.

What is claimed is:

1. In a hinge construction for container closures, a hinge element for securement against the exterior surface'of a container adjacent the upper edge thereof, said element comprising a central securing portion and a pair of parallel vertical outstanding flanges, co-axial journal means on said flanges, the outer edges of said flanges being arcuate concentrically with said journal means and the distance from the axis of said journal means to the lower edges of said flanges being substantially less than the radius of said outer edges, a second hinge element for securement to an edge of a cover element for the container and comprising, with the cover in closed position, a downwardly opening channel seating over said flanges and an end flange terminating in a upwardly facing arcuate portion concentric with said journal means and adapted to bear against the under surfaces thereof, the cover element being constrained to pivotal movement about the axis of said journal means throughout its normal opening and closing movements by engagement of the web portion of the channel against the arcuate edges of said flanges, said second hinge element being assembled with or removed from the first hinge by movement of the cover to abnormal inverted position wherein the web of said channel may be raised to said lower edges of the flanges to permit the arcuate portion of said end flange to be moved horizontally to or away from a position over said journal means.

2. In a hinge construction for container closures, a hinge element for securement against the exterior surface of a container adjacent the upper edge thereof, said element comprising a central securing portion and a pair of parallel vertical outstanding flanges, co-axial journal means projecting inwardly from each of said flanges, the outer edges of said flanges being arcuate concentrically with said journal means and the distance from the axis of said journal means to the lower edges of said flanges being substantially less than the radius of said outer edges. a second hinge element for securement to an edge of a cover element for the container and comprising, with the cover in closed position, a downwardly opening channel seating over said flanges and an end flange terminating in an upwardly facing arcuate portion concentric with said journal means and adapted to bear against the under surface thereof, the cover element being constrained to pivotal movement about the axis of said journal means throughout its normal opening and closing movements by engagement of the web portion of the channel against the arcuate edges of said flanges, said second hinge element being assembled with or removed from the first hinge by movement of the cover to abnormal inverted position wherein the web of said channel may be raised to said lower edges of the flanges to permit the arcuate portion of said end flange to be moved horizontally to or away from a position over said journal means.

3. In a hinge construction for container closures, a hinge element for securement against the exterior surface of a container adjacent the upper edge thereof, said element comprising a central securing portion and a pair of parallel vertical outstanding flanges, co-axial journal means on said flanges, the outer edges of said flanges being arcuate concentrically with said journal means and the distance from the axis of said journal means to the lower edges of said flanges being substantially less than the radius of said outer edges, a second hinge element for securement to an edge of a cover element for the container and comprising, with the cover in closed position, a plate portion extending over said flanges and downwardly and terminating in an upwardly facing arcuate portion concentric with said journal means and adapted to bear against the under surfaces thereof, the cover element being constrained to pivotal movement about the axis of said journal means throughout its normal opening and closing movements by engagement of said plate portion against the arcuate edges of said flanges, said second hinge element being assembled with or removed from the first hinge by movement of the cover to abnormal inverted position wherein the plate portion may be raised to said lower edges of the flanges to permit the arcuate terminal portion of said second hinge element to be moved horizontally to or away from a position over said journal means.

4. In a hinge construction for container closures, a pair of cooperating hinge elements, one for securement to a container and the other for securement to a closure therefor, one of said elements comprising spaced flanges and journal means, said flanges having arcuate edges concentric with said journal means, the other of said elements having an internally arcuate portion for bearing engagement with said journal means and a relatively flat surface portion facing said internally arcuate portion and adapted to bear against the arcuate edges of the flanges of said one element during pivotal movement of the two elements to retain the internally arcuate portion and the journal means in co-axial bearing engagement.

5. In a hinge construction for container closures, a pair of cooperating hinge elements, one for securement to a container and the other for securement to a closure therefor, one of said elements comprising spaced flanges and journal means, said flanges having arcuate edges concentric with said journal means, the other of said,

elements having an internally arcuate portion for bearing engagement with said journal means and a relatively flat surface portion facing said internally arcuate portion and adapted to bear against the arcuate edges of the flanges of said one element during pivotal movement of the two elements to retain the internally arcuate portion and the journal means in co-axial bearing engagement, the arcuate edges'of said flanges terminating in a portion of reduced dimension outside the normal arc of movement of said cover to permit assembly and disassembly of the internally arcuate portion and the journal means in such position.

6. In a hinge construction for container closures, a pair of cooperating hinge elements, one for securement to a container and the other for securement to a closure therefor, one of said elements comprising spaced flanges and journal means, said flanges having farcuate outer edges concentric with said journal means, the lower edge of said flanges havinglportions thereof at a lesser distance from the axis of the journal means than the radius of the arcuate edges, the other of said elements having an internally arcuate portion bearing upwardly against said journal means when the cover is in closed position and a relatively flat surface portionfacing said internally arcuate portion and extending over said flanges to bear against the arcuate edges of the flanges of said one element during pivotal movement of the two elements in opening and closing the cover to retain the internally arcuate portion and the journal means in coaxial bearing engagement, said other element being movable upwardly with the cover in inverted position by elements having an internally arcuate portion for ilbearing engagement with said journal means and la relatively flat surface portion facing said interf nally arcuate portion and adapted to bear against Fthe arcuate edges of the flanges of said one elejment during pivotal movement of the two elements to retain the internally arcuate portion and the journal means in co-axial bearing engagement, said flat surface portion having side flanges extending over the flanges of said one element to prevent undue relative axial movement of said two elements.

CLIFFORD E. BROVVNEIL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 960,817 Case June '7, 1910 2,341,537 Froelich Feb. 15, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 260,169 Germany May 21, 1913 

